Meeting of October 23, 2008 – Issues Facing Hispanics in the Federal Workplace

BERNARDO MATIAS PEREZ

Mr. Pérez was born September 26, 1939 in Lone Pine, California, and received his early education in Fresno and Camarillo, California. He began his career as a messenger with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1960, at FBI Headquarters. He subsequently graduated from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., receiving his Bachelor of Science Degree in 1963.

He entered on duty with the FBI as a Special Agent in September, 1963, and was assigned to Tampa, Florida, and then to San Antonio, Texas. He studied Portuguese and subsequently was assigned to the Washington field Office. He then served in Miami, Florida from 1965 until January 1971, when he was ordered to FBI Headquarters to the Intelligence Division. Mr. Pérez served in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, as the Special Assistant to the Counsel General from January, 1972, to September, 1975. He returned to Headquarters to the Inspection Division, and thereafter, the Records Management Division. He became a Terrorism Supervisor in the Los Angeles FBI Office in March, 1977, while performing collateral liaison duties in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Paraguay for a second tour.

Mr. Pérez was designated Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the San Juan, Puerto Rico Office in March, 1979, and Special Agent in Charge in November of the same year. In May, 1982, he was named second-in-command in the Los Angeles FBI Office, and in January, 1984, he was transferred in the same capacity to the El Paso, Texas Office.

On May 22, 1989, he became Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI Laboratory, Washington, D.C. From March 6, 1991, to December 31, 1994, Mr. Pérez was Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in New Mexico. On December 31, 1994, he retired from the FBI and worked as an international security consultant.

During 1998 and 1999, Mr. Pérez was Vice-President of Security and Compliance for Ladbroke/USA. Recently, Mr. Pérez conducted special investigations for Governor Bill Richardson, and consulted for the Canadian 1-800-Missing television series. Presently, he works as a Private Investigator for H&H Private Investigations in New Mexico.